Trainings

Trainings

Strategic communication can drive lasting change

Equip your team with the tools and skills they need to share their work and build strong collaborations within and beyond science. Our holistic educational approach pairs fundamental skill building, strategic thinking, and meaningful connections to elevate communication practices that pay off long-term, in ways that have far-reaching impact. Working with us, your team will gain a deeper understanding of the complexities of engaging with a variety of audiences and the skills to move forward with confidence.

Our offerings

Signature Workshops

Our offerings include virtual and in-person options. All of our workshops are interactive, inclusive spaces with plenty of group discussions, activities, and built-in breaks to keep everyone engaged and invested.

Getting Started: Introduction to Strategic Communication using the Message Box

Perfect for virtual groups, this training session provides an introduction to the Message Box, our signature tool to help distill your message down to what matters most to your audience(s). COMPASS staff guide you through the core principles of communication and the Message Box and facilitate hands-on practice and small group feedback sessions. ...Read More

Highlights

  • Message Box introduction
  • Introduction to the science of science communication
  • Hands-on Message Box practice with peers
  • Discussion and Q&A with COMPASS staff
  • Up to 3 to 5 hours
  • Up to 25 participants per session
  • Virtual only

(Starts at $3,500/session)

Contact us to book a Getting Started workshop

Strong Foundations: Building on the Message Box

Building on the material in our Getting Started workshop, Strong Foundations includes additional sessions focusing on skill sets of your choice such as Strategic Storytelling, Risk Communication, Navigating Difficult Conversations, and more (see our full course catalog here). You can opt to offer a series of workshops for your group that starts with Introduction to Strategic Science Communication and then advances through the learning path of your choosing. ...Read More

Highlights

  • Choose courses of interest (see full catalog here)
  • Call with COMPASS staff to develop a custom plan and schedule that best meet your group’s goals and needs
  • Hands-on practice with peers and COMPASS staff
  • Discussions and Q&A with COMPASS staff
  • Up to 25 participants per session
  • Virtual only

(Cost dependent on workshops selected)

Contact us to book a Strong Foundations Workshop

Flagship Workshops: Communication in Context

Our flagship workshops are designed to build your group’s understanding of the context and systems that impact your communication efforts. We bring in highly-regarded experts in journalism, community engagement, and/or policymaking to provide your group with a window into their world and give direct, personal feedback on your messages and engagement goals. These subject matter experts get to know your group and their work at a level that isn’t typically possible, leading to a unique experience and new relationships!...Read More

Each workshop is customized to meet the goals of the group through design conversations with your organizers and a pre-workshop participant survey to help us understand their work and communication goals. 

Following the workshops, groups can also opt into our Intensive Engagement Track* for additional, personal guidance on a direct engagement effort. Through small group coaching calls, COMPASS staff will work with participants to prepare and complete at least one meeting or conversation with their chosen audience, including developing a one-page summary of their work to share with them.

Content may be adapted to include:

  • Message Box introduction
  • Introduction to the science of science communication
  • Personal feedback from external experts, peers, and COMPASS staff
  • Personalized practice scenarios with external experts
  • Customized small-group sessions with experts and COMPASS staff such as: working with policymakers, journalists, or community members; storytelling; setting your engagement goals; network mapping and more
  • Optional Intensive Engagement Track*
  • Up to 20 participants
  • Virtual or In-person options

(Virutal starts at $25,000; Contact us for in-person and optional intensive track pricing.)

Contact us to book a Flagship Workshop

Cohort Track: Preparing for Impact

The cohort track allows you to invest in a select group of participants who could benefit from a comprehensive program designed specifically to support their growth and development. The program arc provides a shared foundation of science communication and then proceeds through customized sessions that provide more advanced skills and practice. Participants that complete this program develop supportive connections with other cohort members that help them sustain their engagement and communication efforts, and feel ready to share and apply what they’ve learned across their work. ...Read More

As a culmination of the program, groups can opt to add a customized Capstone Event* that participants would plan and prepare for during the program. This event would be crafted with the goals and outcomes of the program in mind and details are determined during planning.

Highlights:

  • Message Box introduction
  • Introduction to the science of science communication
  • Discussions and Q&A with external experts and COMPASS staff
  • Personal feedback from external experts, peers, and COMPASS staff
  • Personalized practice scenarios with external experts
  • Optional small group coaching*
  • Optional capstone event*
  • Up to 20 participants; cohort selection determined by your organization unless otherwise discussed
  • Virtual with potential in-person add-on components

(Starts at $7,000 per month; contact us for pricing details)

Contact us to book a Cohort Track

Contact Us About Training

We’re constantly innovating to better meet the needs of the scientists we work with. Wondering whether we can create something that’s just right for your group? Please contact us at trainings@COMPASSscicomm.org.

Contact Us

Flexible Learning Opportunities

Looking to offer flexible learning opportunities for your team throughout the year? COMPASS holds monthly public virtual workshops on a variety of communication topics and skill sets. If you’d like to reserve a block of seats for your team at a reduced price, contact us at trainings@compassscicomm.org.

View all upcoming workshops

I’ve been engaging with external audiences about my research on controversial forest management issues for nearly 40 years, but this was the best opportunity I’ve had to participate in a critical evaluation of the whole communication process with a group of research peers and media experts… Simply hearing what a ‘day in the life of a journalist’ is like will change the way I react to the next email or phone request for an interview.

~ Dr. Tom Veblen, Distinguished Professor, University of Colorado, Boulder

Four well-known, leading reporters accompanied COMPASS and helped with the workshop. These leading journalists discussed how the media is changing and the importance of communicating science to the public and to policymakers. They shared their personal perspectives on what makes a good science story and how to get our stories told.

~ Dr. John Reganold, Regents Professor, Washington State University

This is not just another communication training. COMPASS brings tools and techniques, but also the opportunity for intensive practice with nationally known journalists. And scientists trust COMPASS: their staff were trained as scientists, so they have an understanding of our perspective and experience. Because they know the science, they never asked us to change our message, but helped us translate it for different audiences.

~ Dr. Diana Wall, Director, School of Global Environmental Sustainability, Colorado State University

COMPASS was a tremendous force multiplier of my ability to communicate my science effectively and compellingly. I use some aspect of my COMPASS training literally every single week.

~ Dr. Dawn Wright, Chief Scientist, Esri

I learned a new identity for myself, that I can be a good scientist and a good citizen at the same time.

~ Michelle del Rio, PhD Student, University of Texas

You know your COMPASS training worked when a congressional staffer repeats your message back to you more than a year later!

~ Dr. Jennifer Balch, Director, Earth Lab; Associate Professor of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder

Having someone with a critical eye who knows the science but also how things work on Capitol Hill, someone who can say ‘that’s too much jargon' or explain the proposed legislation or the constraints—that’s an invaluable service that COMPASS provides.

~ Dr. Scott Doney, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

It was a big eye opener hearing from the journalists that my passion for the topic is a part of the story. I've always thought that my science should be kept separate from me as a person. So one of the most valuable things for me from the training is realizing we can't be afraid to be an individual, even if we represent an agency.

~ Dr. Libby Jewett, Director, Ocean Acidification Program, NOAA

Tools & Resources

Online resources

Check out our Tools & Resources page for materials and blog posts that give you a preview of what to expect when you work with COMPASS — including a downloadable version of the Message Box, our signature tool to distill your science down to what matters most.

Learn More